CH 4.2

During the afternoon class, Hinagata slightly shifted her seat. She was easy to understand.

It was hard to see it in her facial expressions and attitudes, but she sometimes showed it in her actions like this.

“About that soccer-club-paisen …..he’s gonna confess, right?”

As I was changing in the locker room after gym class, Sugiuchi, who seemed to have heard the whole thing from someone, asked.

With hands on his waists, he continued saying with a dignified attitude.

Even if you say, ‘Not in front of the tea ceremonial club’ , there is no place other than that.

“What? So that’s what it is?”

“Kah. I don’t know anything about this boy. In such a quiet place where there are no people, boys bother to call girls after school? I mean, it’s a cloak and dagger, or an unspoken agreement, to call you there for that purpose.”

The man with his hands on his waist who claimed to know what he was talking about said that calling her there after school meant he was going to confess.

I knew I was right, but I didn’t realize that’s what he meant by “in front of the tea ceremony room.”

“Enough of this nonsense, hurry up and put on your uniform. You’ll be in the way of people using this place for club activities.”

Before I knew it, Sugiuchi and I were the only ones in the locker room.

PE was the last class of the day, and from the window of the locker room, I could see a few students getting ready for club activities on the field.

Perhaps it was because of the entrance ceremony in the morning, but the students who were about to start their club activities seemed to be in a state of excitement, thinking about the juniors they hadn’t seen yet.

“Why don’t you go to class and stop her?”

“Why?”

“What are you gonna do if she says ‘yes’, you idiot!?”

“She won’t. I know she’s already in love with someone.”

“What? Really?”

“Yes,” I said, and began to fold my gym clothes, which I had taken off because I was too bored to do anything else.

Sugiuchi was puzzled, but then his expression changed.

“That’s even worse! Why are you taking so long to fold your gym clothes, huh?!”

“What do you mean by ‘even worse’?” 

“What if that guy’s the lucky one—?”

…..Ahh.

“But if that’s the case, it will have a happy ending.”

“If she is happy, that’s the end of the story for both of us.”

Heh, what an embarrassing thing to say, this guy.

“Don’t smile like you’re embarrassed!”

“All right, all right. Don’t make a fuss. Get dressed.”

“It’s spring, why not be a little open-minded?”

“Pull yourself together, idiot.”

“I’m not getting dressed unless you go!”

“What kind of threat is that?”

That’s not a threat.

I left the locker room and went back to the classroom, partly because Sugiuchi was annoying me and partly because I had finished folding my gym clothes.

There was no one in the classroom anymore, and the bag that was always hanging on the seat next to me was already gone.

“No way… was that the lucky Person…?”

Is there such a thing as a… convenient development?

For some reason, I mumbled to myself in honorific language, and prepared to leave.

I turned my body around to go to the exit and walked to the special classroom building where I could see the tea ceremony room.

The tea ceremony room is not inside, but stands alone near the school building.

“No, but that’s because I promised to go, and I’m only going…. But…”

SuZuSuZu.

“If he was the lucky guy, she’d be a little happier about it…..”

TaTaTaTa.

If the person she likes, if I have even one chance on being the one she likes, then there is also a possibility still remaining about that, that senpai too being one of her love interest

ZuDaDaDa.

“T-there they are!”

From the window in the corridor, I could slightly see the front of the tea ceremony room. The senpai who was waiting for Hinagata, fidgeting.

As usual, there was no one else in the room. It seemed that Hinagata hadn’t arrived yet either.

I was relieved, but not for long.

Hinagata appeared, accompanied by Uchinokura-san. I thought they were going to listen to the story together, but it seemed that she was only accompanying her to that point, and Uchinokura-san immediately turned on her heel and went away.

…They started to talk about something.

I could tell that their lips were slightly moving, but I couldn’t hear them through the window.

“….”

I gently unlocked the closed window and put my hand on the window frame. It didn’t open easily, probably because I don’t usually open and close windows, so I pulled with all my might.

Then, Kuru Kuru Kuru–! A high-pitched sound echoed.

Whoa! The sound was loud!

Suddenly, they both looked at me at once. I quickly squatted down to get away from their sights.

I’m pretty sure they know I’m here.

Sighing loudly, I leaned against the wall and threw my legs out.

The h**l I’m doing……

I could hear them speaking, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying. Eventually, the voice disappeared, and I raised my head fearfully.

The only person there was Hinagata, who was staring at me.

“What are you doing?”

“Y-yoo. Hey, where’s that senpai?”

“Club activities. He said was in a hurry.”

“He confessed, didn’t he?”

Hinagata nodded.

“That’s…. true….”

“I’m sorry, I knew.”

What do you mean, “I knew”? Like a report.

She’s so used to it, I guess this is a regular occurrence for Hinagata.

“During the lunch break, the senior said he wanted to talk to me, and I could tell from the atmosphere what he was talking about, but I didn’t want to be wrong.”

“I see.”

I, who told her to refuse him at that time, was just drinking tea without saying a single word.

My actions and thoughts seemed to be spinning out of control, so I wracked my brain and let out a small sigh.

“Were you worried?”

“….I just thought it would be nice if that guy was someone Hinagata liked.”

The only thing I’m skilled at is mudding the waters.

“And then you wouldn’t have to ask me for advice on relationships anymore.”

“Do you really think so?”

“Why are you asking me that?”

Hinagata gave me a straight stare.

“Good luck getting in, Junior Women’s basketball.”

I diverted the subject, picked up the bag at my feet and slung it over my shoulder.

“Hold on.”

As I stepped out to leave, I was stopped.

“Hmm?”

“I’m going to finish my club activities later today, but….”

Hinagata held her hair in the breeze with her hands, and whispered with her eyes downcast as if embarrassed.

“I want to go home with you when…. I’m done…..”

She answered before I could ask her how long I was going to wait.

“Sure.”